Excuse my recent silence. It feels like light-years since I last posted. I’m going through some major life changes, y'all. By major, I mean, I may have to change my “About Me” page soon. (Yeah, it’s that major!) But enough about Maya, can we talk about how newsworthy this week has been despite the fact that it’s only hump day? Because of this, I will do my first-ever Mid-Week Music recap… this will probably not be a weekly occurrence but let's live in the moment, shall we?

1. Kendrick Lamar Takes Hip Hop Off Snooze

So by this point, all the hip hop heads (and then some) have heard rapper Kendrick Lamar’s extended verse on Big Sean’s track “Control.” Due to licensing issues, the song won’t be on his upcoming sophomore album “Hall of Fame.” However, that didn’t stop the track from going viral Monday night when Big Sean dropped the lyrical bomb on Twitter. Kendrick Lamar goes in on popular rappers like Drake, J. Cole, and even Big Sean! (I don’t think I could have taken straight disrespect like that on my own track but Big Sean must have realized how powerful the verse was.) Lamar, a California native, goes so far as to call himself “The King of New York.”

I'm usually homeboys with the same n*ggas I'm rhymin' wit

But this is hip hop and them n*ggas should know what time it is

And that goes for Jermaine Cole, Big KRIT, Wale

Pusha T, Meek Millz, A$AP Rocky, Drake

Big Sean, Jay Electron', Tyler, Mac Miller

I got love for you all but I'm tryna murder you n*ggas

Tryna make sure your core fans never heard of you n*ggas

They dont wanna hear not one more noun or verb from you n*ggas

Now, I’ve been a Kendrick fan since last fall when I picked up his major label début, Good Kid, M.A.A.D City so please don’t think I’m bandwagoning. I’m really picky about what I listen to… especially when it comes to rap but Good Kid remains one of the few albums I can listen to straight through. This dude has the hip-hop community in a frenzy. B.O.B. and Lupe Fiasco are among a few of the rappers speaking out but the people are waiting to see which brave rapper mentioned above will respond first.

You can’t discuss pop culture of the past five years without mentioning Lady Gaga. I’m not a hardcore Monster but I must say that I missed Lady Gaga and her crazy antics during her nearly two-year long hiatus. The concept of the video is cool. It portrays an intimate night of fun with Lady Gaga, her fans, and a gang of drag queens. (Shangela of Ru Paul’s Drag Race is killing it on that runway, honey!) The footage was taped Monday night and Gaga delivered it to her fans in less than 48 hours. Yes, Gaga… give your Monsters what they want!

3. Katy Perry and John Meyer Make Beautiful Music

In "Who You Love," John Mayer unapologetically sings about his insatiable appetite for Katy Perry. It’s probably the sweetest duet I’ve heard in recent years. “Ain't the one that I saw coming … I tried to run before but I’m not running anymore,” Mayer laments. Neither singers have had much luck with love in the past. Mayer has run through some of the most beautiful, talented women in Hollywood (Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Aniston, Taylor Swift) and Katy Perry’s short-lived marriage to Russell Brand came after a breakup with Gym Class Heroes front-man Travie McCoy. I’m still not convinced that this relationship will last but all that crooning has me feeling especially sentimental.

Hello, my name is Maya...

and I'm what some would call a "Bad Feminist." I minored in Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies so I'm well versed in the male gaze, rape culture and intersectionality. However, that doesn't mean I won't partake in the rachetrosity that is trap music or revel in the ridiculousness of a Real Housewives marathon.